Portable sectional skating rinks



Oct. 25, 1960 H. TRAULSEN PORTABLE SECTIONAL SKATING RINKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 26, 1959 REFR UNIT INVENTOR. H ARRY TRAULSEN ATTORA/Z'Y Oct. 25, 1960 H. TRAULSEN PORTABLE SECTIONAL SKATING RINKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1959 INVENTOR.

HARRY TRAULSEN ATTOPAZ'Y United States Patent 2,957,319 Patented Oct. 25, 1969 fire PORTABLE SECTIONAL SKATING RINKS Harry Traulsen, 41-15 Delong St., Flushing, N.Y.

Filed Jan. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 789,106

Claims. (Ci. 62-235) This invention relates to the art of skating rink construction and particularly concerns a sectioned skating rink with a self-contained refrigeration system provided for each section of the rink.

According to the invention there is provided a plurality of insulated rink sections which are individually portable and which can be fastened together to form an integral unit. Each section is provided with refrigeration coils and a refrigerating unit. The several sections, when secured, provide a flat surface upon which water can be deposited to a desired depth. The coils are distributed so as to accomplish freezing of the water to ice and to maintain the ice in frozen condition to permit ice skating thereon.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a multiple sectioned skating rink with each section provided with an individual refrigeration system.

It is a further object to provide a multiple sectioned skating rink with the sections being detachably secured to each other to provide a flat surface for supporting a sheet of ice thereon, each of the sections being provided with an individual refrigeration system.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a skating rink embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the rink of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan sectional View on an enlarged scale taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational sectional view of the rink on an enlarged scale taken on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a skating rink 10 formed by a plurality of sections 12-15 preferably four in number. Each section has a rectangular form in plan view as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Each section is provided with an individual refrigeration unit 16. Each unit has a removable cover 18 which fits over a base 20 as shown in Fig. 3. The internal structure of the several sections is best shown in Figs. 2-6 and will now be described.

Each section is formed with outer end walls 22 made of thin sheet metal. In end sections 12 and 15 these walls join the long outer sides 24 of the section. Joined to the outer walls 22 in each section is a rectangular base plate 26. The outer walls are formed with horizontally bent portions 25, 27 providing horizontal channels in which are inserted rigid plastic panels 30 covering the tops of the walls. The inner sides 32 of the walls are formed by further sheets of metal which have bent over top sections 34 to form inner supports for the horizontal panels 30. The inner sides 32 of the end walls join the long inner sides 36 of the outer sections 12 and 15. The inner sides 32 and 36 of the end and side walls are joined integrally with a rectangular floor 40 in each of the sections.

Underlying the floor 40 is a sub-floor 42 consisting of a rectangular plywood sheet. Sub-floor 42 rests on a metal base sheet 44 supported on and covering a layer.

'46 of thermal insulation material. This insulation material may be Fiberglas, cork, or other suitable material.

On floor 40 is a plate 41 made of aluminum or the like.

The outer and inner walls 22, 24 and 32', 36 extend upwardly beyond the floors 40 and plates 41 to define a trough 50 into which water can be sprayed or poured to a desired depth. The rectangular metal plate 41 which overlies the floor of each section serves as a means for uniformly distributing the chilling effect of the refrigeration system associated with each section.

The refrigeration system includes a maze ofv pipes 54 which serve to circulate chilled refrigerant 70 delivered from the compressor 56 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The refrigerant passes through drying cells 58 and 60 which extract moisture from the refrigerant. Valves 62 and 64 control the flow of refrigerant into the pipes 54. The flow of refrigerant 70 returns to a pump 66 for passing through the compressor again in a closed continuous cycle. The refrigeration apparatus exclusive of the pipes 54 is mounted on base 20 within the casing provided by cover 18.

The pipes 54 are supported in open top channels 68 formed in the top of the thermal insulation layer 46. In order to removably secure the several sections together there are provided a plurality of bolts 72 which thread into hooked connector bars 74. These bars are engaged on posts 76 disposed between the upper and lower sheets or plates 44 and 26. The bolt heads seat in recess 77 in plate 41 and the bolt shanks extend through registering apertures in the sheets 40, 42 and 44 as well as through bores or holes 30 in the insulation layer.

The several sections are preferably about twenty feet long and five feet wide so that when four sections are attached as shown there is provided a rink covering an area of about 400 square feet. The several sections are readily detachable and can be loaded on suitable trucks for transportation to any desired location.

The maximum height of the outer walls is about six inches, and the thickness of the floor area of the rink within the upstanding outer walls is preferably about four inches. The insulation layer 46 may be about three inches or slightly less. The plywood layer 42 insures rigidity to the floor of the rink and is quite thin so that it does not materially interfere with heat transfer between the plate 41 and the refrigeration system. The upper metal plate 41 and lower metal sheet 44 serve to distribute evenly the chilling effect of the refrigeration system, or conversely to transmit to the refrigeration system excess heat in the water to be frozen to form a slab of ice on the floor of the rink.

It will be noted that each section is self-contained with its own refrigeration system so that larger or smaller links can be formed at will. A principal difliculty of prior sectional rinks has been their limitation and dependence upon the availability of adequate refrigeration apparatus for any desired size of rink. This problem does not arise with the present invention since each section is accompanied by its own refrigeration unit and system. No particularly skilled labor is required to install and connect pipes and set up a refrigeration system as is required with prior sectioned rinks. Once the sections have been fabricated and the refrigeration system is installed at the factory, it'is only necessary to connect the power cables 90 of the'refrigerator units to a suitable source of electric power to operate the refrigeration apparatus.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 15:

1. A skating rink section, comprising a base layer of insulation material, a metal sheet enclosure for said layer, a plywood sheet overlaying said metal sheet to provide a rigid support for a slab of ice, a sheet metal floor overlaying said plywood sheet, said enclosure having upstanding ends defining walls extending upwardly beyond said floor for forming part of a trough to receive water for freezing on the floor, a maze of piping disposed in said enclosure on said base layer, and a refrigeration unit disposed outside said walls and connected with said piping.

Z. A skating rink section, comprising a base layer of insulation material, a metal sheet enclosure for said layer, a thin plywood sheet overlaying said metal sheet to provide a rigid support for a slab of ice, a sheet metal floor overlaying said plywood sheet, said enclosure having upstanding ends defining walls extending upwardly beyond said floor for forming part of a trough to receive water for freezing on the floor, a maze of piping disposed in said enclosure on said base layer, a refrigeration unit disposed outside said walls and connected with said piping, and a metal plate disposed on said plywood sheet for uniformly distributing the chilling effect of refrigerant circulating through said piping by said unit. 7 V n I 3. A skating rink, comprising a plurality of similar rectangular sections detachably connected together to provide a rectangular skating area, each of said sections comprising a base layer of insulation material formed with open top channels, a metal sheet enclosure for said layer, a thin rigid wood sheet overlayingsaid metal sheet for supporting a slab of ice, a sheet metal floor underlaying said wood sheet, a metal plate disposed on said wood sheet for uniformly freezing water deposited on said plate, said enclosure having upstanding ends defining walls extending upwardly beyond said floor for forming a trough to'receive and contain said water for freezing, a maze of piping disposed in said channels below said metal floor, and a plurality of refrigeration units respectively connected to the piping in each section and independent of each other,

4. A skating rink, comprising a plurality of similar rectangular sections detachably connected together to provide a rectangular skating area, each of said sections comprising a base layer'of insulation material formed with open top channels, a metal sheet enclosure for said layer, a thin rigid wood sheet overlaying said metal sheet for supporting a slab of ice, a sheet metal floor underlaying said wood sheet, and a metal plate disposed on said wood sheet for uniformly freezing Water deposited on said plate, said enclosure having upstanding ends defining walls extending upwardly beyond said floor for forming a trough to receive and contain said water for freezing, a maze of piping disposed in said channels below said metal floor, and a plurality of refrigeration units respectively connected to the, piping in each section and independent of each other, said sections being connected together by means including removable bolts removabl attached f0 connector bars, said bars being engaged upon posts disposed between I upper and lower portions or said enclosure in adjacent sections.

5. A skating rink, comprising a plurality of similar rectangular sections detachably connected together to provide a rectangular skating area, each of said sections comprisin a base layer of insulation material formed with open toptchannels, a metal sheet enclosure for said layer, a rigid w'ood sheet for supporting a slab of ice, a sheet metal floor overlaying said wood sheet, a metal plate disposed under the wood sheet for uniformly freezing water deposited on said floor, said enclosure having upstanding end's defining walls extending upwardly beyond "said floor for forming a trough to receive and contain said water for freezing, a maze of piping disposed in said channels below said metal floor,

' and a plurality of refrigeration units respectively connected to the piping in each section and independent of each other, each of the sections being about five feet wide and twenty feet long, the height of said walls being about six inches and the thickness of each section in the skating area being about four inches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,270,745 Todd J'an. 20, 1942 2,615,308 Thorns Oct. 28, 1952 2,809,812 Erickson Oct. 15, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 527,620 Great Britain Oct. 11, 1940 

